The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-27
9EISY'S SUNDAY BEAU.
BY BETSY HAMILTON.
Written for The Constitution

ment. Cur gang is a tiAin up now to have q
tree and aladder and old Santa Clause at the
Cross Roads school house. After it GENES off
I'll tell you all aboutit. But it don't seem to
me we'uns can ever have as much fun as we
had last Christmas at Miss Roberson's party,
time they got such coed joke on Tom Davis.
Fore supper they played Tucker and
classification, and all SIGH as that to the
tune OF the fiddle, SO as to give the church
members chance to dance. Then after sup
per they started up sones kissin' games.
Less ell play tCalifomey blindfold',o says
Mandy Strong, and she whispered to me: st
want to get a joke on old Tom Davis; he's
been a tryin TO cote me, and he thinks his
SET so smart"
LESS all play Californey blindfoldl. 4"
says she to the crowd. make all
the boys go out and come in one at time,
and be blindfolded, and guess which one of
the gals kisses him."
'fGood, y says Tom Davies, 81 know whose
gwine to kiss me.''
Mandy she gave me pinch The boys
went out. They let ELL Gooden in first, give
him a cheer in the middle OF the floor, blind
folded him, and the gals tuck holt of hands
and marched all around him and sung: 81
measure my love to show you, for you have
gained the day." Somebody smacked him
right dab in the mouth and run. They on
kivered his eyes, and he made three guesses-
but didn't guess the right one.
Then they let Ill another boy, bindfolded
him, sung and marched around, when in walk
ed old black Nanny Hester the cook, kissed
him quick and run.
Bill Gooden looked cheap but of course he
wouldn't tell,-misery loves company. They
kep.a comm in, and every time old Hester
black and greasy as pots and skillets could
make her would kiss'em and run out in the
Kitchen Last they let III Tom Davis. He
thinks SO much more of -hisseH than anybody
else thinks Of him, they was all glad
Mandy. "Blindfold me; bet ken guess, !"
says he.
They tied the handkerchief tight, marched
around and sung, and old Hester crept in, and
Just as she kissed him. That's mighty
sweet, says he, and grabbed her cts Miss
Mandy (raising the handkerchief; it's Miss
Man-dog gone your black skin, +" and he made
break for old Hester, but she cleared the door
and didn't wait to hear what else he had to
say.
The crowd laughed and he was plagued so
he jumpt on his ridin' critter and went a a. YIN
home. When he found out il was Mandy done
1t, he never had no more use for her and com
meneed q takin on about me.
One Sunday evening in June after that, re
'uns at our house was all fixin to go to the
singin' school, A stranger up thar at the
school house was teachin' the do-ray-mees
and far-so-lars, and we was in a most crazy to
iSdiH HOW 10 SiUS. ulUll bGeE SO muCD IOf
larnin' to sing, but | knoWed in reason Cap
Dewbe1ry Or Ky Robertson or some of the boys
would ak me for my company home.
Nobody over thar hadn't saw my new pink
caliker frock trimmed in white domestic, bias
folds and | knowed it would take Their eve, SO
L diked out in it. starched my face white
and combed my head slick, and put on my hat
with red rose pinned on whar it turns up at
the side.
My Sunday shoes pap give dollar and a
quarter fog was bran new, and Screeched loud,
you could hear EN- all over the house.
taken up my little piece of broke lookin
glass oif'n the shelf, looked at N.Y.
self and was "a wonderin if
mighty pretty when / hearn somebody step up
in the entry. was shore it was Cap Dow
berry. l thought I knowed his walk He
knocked on the side of the house with his
ridin' switch.
Then hearn pap ak him to have cheer I
hurried up and taken off my Sunday hat, put
little more starch on my face, looked in the
glass, pinched my checks, bit my lips and
looked in the glass agin, then walked out in
the entry, and lo and behold, there stood
Tom Davis.
After me and him howdyed he gig
gled and his face turned red. L list wish
you could or saw him. Hun and his Sunday
clothes didn't pear to be acquainted, they sot
out sorter stiff from him like him and them
wasn't used to one another You see his mann
my cut his breeches by pair of his daddy's
old ones, and they was too big in the legs and
too short, and showed his homo knit socks that
hung in wrinkles over his brogan shoes. His
coat was so short in the waist the buttons
struck him half way up his back. His speck-
led caliker shirt was so stiff it ratified like q
newspaper ever time he moved, and his paper
collar rid high on his neck and tried to cut his
years in two. He was monstrous proud Of his red
check crayat and kept tyin' and on-tyin' of
it. He chawed up his ridin' switch nd.swapt
his feet fust one side then tother as restless as
q horse in fly time / seed by the way he ac-
ted that there was somen on his mind he
wanted to say and couldnt exactly git his mouth
to 90 off. L sot still and said nothin' He
cbawed and chawed on his ridin switch and
broke it into thousand little pieces Then /
thought I'd say sump'n; and while / was q
tixin up sump'n TO say he moved his cheer over
closter to mine.
Jist then hearn Flurridy Tennysey in tho
shed room say: "Thar now, he's done moved
his cheer right fernent the ladder, aud cant
git up in the loft to git my Sunday coat"
Tom run both hands down in
his breeches pockets, stretched his
legs out straight, and said:
Miss Betsy, ar--ar-rar will you accept of
the pleasure OF my company to the singin' this
evenin'"
Now was most crazy to go, and was so dis
appointed / wanted to cry, but didn't want TO
90 stalkin' up thar longer Tom Davis and
have ever body laughin' at me, SO ] says, says
/, 81 don't believe l keer about gwine this ey-
enin."
Calledony and buddy was peepin' around
the end of the Placer. Tom was
settin' with his back to them and didn't see
en- He didn't see nor hear nothin' but me.
lie took for granted in minute,
bekase said wasn't gwine, that / wanted
to stay home with him. seen it and was
mad as blazes, but twas too late then. /
couldn't help myself then. lie peartened up
and peared to take heart. "Well, saws he,
"Pm mighty glad you don't want to 60
don't want to 20 nuther IL you don't. /
druther stay here longer you as 70 90 any
whars," says he, GRIMM like a baked pos
sum. He hitched his cheer up a little closter
to me till / was afearcd he'd upset the ladder
Cues what / fetched YOU" says he. !
knoWed Caledony and buddy was a
lisLonin'; / was afearcd to look towards 'em;
my face TUNED rcd and never made him no
answer. Guess, " says he-"can't you gues5?"
az don't know" says I--"what isit2"
81 got sumpn 70 tell you" says he. rs
you3' says !.
"I'm sEeered TO tell youp says hei feared